Haunting Ground

THE BAD:
Characters (yes, I'm putting them in both categories), Puzzles, Maps.

SUMMARY:
As it's most likely been said many times before, if you're a fan of the Clock Tower series, or just Survival Horror in general, then you'll really like this game, it has a charm all its own.

First off, some the characters are a mix of likability and downright contempt.

Our heroine, Fiona, as would be expected in this style of game, is your typical spazmonkey who spooks way too easily, and I would have to agree with the consensus that she's a little on the stupid side for not thinking to use any one of the multitudes of sharp weapons she breezes past in many rooms.

However, Hewie, your canine companion and protector, OWNS by all standards.
Unlike Brown from Rule of Rose, he's actually USEFUL (if you treat him well, that is), clamping down on enemies' hands and feet, or leaping onto their back to gnaw at their head, which is always cool to watch.
He's also key in completing puzzles, retrieving items, and even defeating bosses for you.

Your first pursuer, Debilitas, is basically an ogre with a matching IQ deficiency, and unnecessarily disturbing eyes, who acts like a child with a new toy every time he spots you.

Your second pursuer, Daniella, is a seriously disturbed housekeeper with a severe distaste for mirrors, and chases you around with a ridiculously large shard of glass.
She's pretty cool for the most part, but sometimes that psychotic laugh can really get on your nerves after a very short period of time.

These first two enemies, however, are unique, and you might find yourself longing for them again later after you start meeting the next chain of pursuers, who are all technically the same dude, which is a smidge on the boring side.

Gameplay is great, and I don't really have any issues with how the characters move or anything.
Fiona actually runs at a pretty decent pace, and even in her more exhausted gait, she's still three times faster than Miku from Fatal Frame.
I rarely get hung up on doors, and even in some of the more confined spaces of the game, it's still not that difficult to get around enemies.
Sure, you might get clouted if you time your run-around wrong, but still, it's not that big a deal.

The music is good, appropriate for the genre, and each individual pursuer has their own "chase music".
Also, the sound or lack thereof can be key in knowing when you're in trouble.
The music will stop altogether if the enemy is nearby, in which case you'll want to stop dead in your tracks, because they're listening for you to move.
The closer you get to where the enemy is, the louder the music gets, so you can also use that as a prompt to start beating cheeks in the opposite direction.

Now, where some people have a problem with running around in circles, but have no issue with the puzzles, I'm the exact opposite.

The puzzles for me, were extremely infuriating, not because I have no time to figure them out when I'm being chased, but because they're sometimes hard to figure out or complete PERIOD.
You have to know exactly which command to use, or what order to do the five steps that are spread out through multiple rooms, or make sure you're stepping on exactly the right spot or you'll have to start the whole friggin' process over and over again until you get it right, or make sure you don't miss an item otherwise you'll have to go up and down a tediously long set of spiral steps a thousand times until you figure it out, etc.

Running around any given level in circles to lose a pursuer was not a problem for me, because in my opinion, it gives you the perfect opportunity to memorize your surroundings, due to the fact that the maps you find are patently useless, with no significant labels or markings except for red X's that are what I'm assuming to be save spots.
Not only that, but being chased can be exciting, and that's pretty much what a large part of the gameplay premise is all about, after all.

All in all, this game fits very nicely into any rabid horror fan's library, it's a good title to get the blood flowin', in my opinion.